Dauntless Hearts
by RowlingTribute91
Summary: Natalie and Andrew Prior came from very different factions. But somehow, they wound up falling in love. How did it happen? A bunch of one-shots, starting from their initiations, and leading up to their pivotal moments in Divergent.
1. Chapter 1

I've just arrived at Abnegation headquarters for the first time. My mother thinks I'll be safe here, and I have to agree. It's nothing grand; plain white walls and a podium are the only things I see. All around me is a sea of people in gray clothes. A handful of us are from Amity, but very few come from Candor or Erudite. I'm the only Dauntless transfer this year, it appears. We all arrived here on foot; the selfless way to travel. Thank goodness I've been running laps every day since I was little, otherwise, the walk would've worn me out.

One of the Erudite boys meets my eyes and smiles. I have to keep myself from blushing, which is odd. He's a complete stranger. But I've always been a sucker for smiles like that, the kind that burns through me, leaving me breathless. I'll have to introduce myself later.

A middle-aged woman takes to the front of the room. "Hello, Abnegation initiates! My name is Selena Morris, and I'll be leading your trials for the next few weeks. You will be ranked; however, none of you will be ousted, as we believe in giving everyone equal treatment. It's simply a way for us to see how well you can represent our faction. I do have to warn you, though; if any fights break out, everyone involved _will _become factionless on the spot. Am I clear?"

"Yes," we all mutter.

"Speaking of the factionless," Selena continues, "they will be your first assignment. We're going to prepare supplies, clothes, and food, and give them to as many of them as we can. Your scores will depend on how many items you provide and how many people you provide to each day. I'll be supervising, of course. Now follow me to the kitchen!"

I soon find out that Abnegation's kitchen is enormous. There are multiple stoves, pots, pans, and utensils; enough equipment to feed an army. I think it's the size of my family's apartment back in Dauntless.

"I want each of you to pair up," Selena instructs. The Amity people automatically pair with each other. _Is that their way of keeping peace,_ I wonder, _not bothering to get to know the others? _But I'm not so sure of myself, either. I feel so awkward, not knowing anybody here.

Then the Erudite boy who smiled at me earlier approaches. Upon a closer look, I notice that he's not very tall, but taller than my five-foot, three-inch frame. He's got bright, green eyes and a mop of dirty blond hair. He wears the Erudite blue in a laid-back way with his shirt un-tucked and two buttons undone. Much more approachable than the stereotypical straight-laced, polished look that his faction neighbors have.

"I guess we're working together," he says. "My friends are all taken."

"You sure know how to talk to a girl."

He chuckles. "I'm just kidding. You're the first Dauntless person I've ever met, and that makes me curious. You know, since we're not allowed to visit the other factions."

"Erudites," I mutter. "So full of curiosity." My facial expression remains normal, but inside, I'm blushing. I want to blush more when I realize I haven't actually responded to his offer. "Sure, we can be partners."

"Can I have your attention again, please?" Selena interrupts. "I'm assigning every pair a different item of food to make, so I need you to be patient as I hand out the recipes. Once you get yours, grab a wagon from the storage closet. There are ingredients in the cupboards above you. Get out everything that you need, and you're on your own."

My new Erudite friend goes to get a wagon, while I find a cooking station. Selena walks by and hands me a card with a recipe for minestrone soup. I haven't done much cooking in my life, but it looks simple enough. When he returns, we get right to work kneading dough and putting it through a noodle-shaping machine. Next, I chop vegetables while he boils the pasta in a giant pot. Tomatoes and spices add the final touch. This could feed dozens of factionless people. No matter how they wound up without a faction, it warms my heart to be giving them something to look forward to.

I move to pick up the pot and set it on the wagon, but my cooking partner waves his arm in front of me.

"That looks really heavy," he says. "I don't know if you want to lift it."

I gesture over my black attire. "Hello. Dauntless! I've been building muscle since I could walk, so I think I can handle a measly pot." My mind wanders to the tattoo of flames that lies under my arm. A reminder to me of where I came from, and what I should still aspire to be. Dauntless. Unafraid.

I refuse to consider using a dangerous word.

_Divergent. _

"Wow," he replies. "Your faction really _is_ full of cocky people."

"We're not cocky. We're _confident_. And girls are stronger than you might assume." Without further inquiry, I take the pot in my arms. "I'll let you get the next one. Think your ego can handle that?"

He doesn't reply as I set the pot into our wagon and start chopping more veggies. I scan the kitchen for a clock, but there is none. Probably to keep us from losing focus on our jobs. I have to say, it's a smart idea. Maybe I'll fit into Abnegation after all.

We work for what feels like an entire day before Selena declares, "Time's up!"

By now, we've made about ten pots. Not bad. Everybody else has plentiful amounts of food on their wagons, too. The factionless definitely won't go hungry tonight.

We form a line as we walk out with our wagons, into the streets.

I turn to my partner, who's pulling the wagon. "Forgive me," I say. "I still don't know your name. I should've asked already."

"Well, you haven't told me yours, either," he argues.

"I'm Nat- Natalie Shaw." I almost use my nickname, Nat. That girl can't exist anymore.

"Andrew Prior," he says as we shake hands.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: YES, this icon is Ashley Judd when she was younger. She will be the perfect Natalie! **

It's a scalding hot day in the fields. I've been in Abnegation for about a month now, and I'm starting to see that it's not really all that different from Dauntless. Sometimes it takes courage to be selfless. Everyone older than sixteen gets assigned different duties every month, and I'm currently on duty planting seeds, along with the other initiates. They wanted to start us off as a group, with an easy job. _Everything_ here is easy compared to what I'm used to. My Abnegation wear is always itchy, and we have to wear long sleeves, even in this heat. But I'm not about to complain. I like my life here. My friends in Dauntless wouldn't recognize me.

When it comes time for a lunch break, I meet up with the rest of my team under our little 'headquarters' tent. Once we get our food, we're allowed to go off on our own for about fifteen minutes, and today I end up eating with Andrew Prior. He seems a little upset at the moment as we sit down in the grass.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"It's my mother's birthday today," he says. "Too bad I can't see her until Visiting Day. It's the first time I haven't been with her to celebrate."

"I miss my family, too." And it's true. There's a little hole in my heart that seems to grow every time I think of them. One day a month just isn't going to be enough. I try to change the subject by asking, "Why did you choose Abnegation?"

"Honestly? I didn't like what my faction was turning out to be. Having a lot of knowledge is great, but it can also be harmful. Our leader is getting a little overboard with his power."

"Who is he?"

"Brian Matthews. He's got a daughter our age, actually. Jeanine. But she didn't transfer. She's supposed to take over for him some day." Andrew scowls at his words.

"Obviously, you don't like her, either."

"Yeah. She brags about it all the time. I don't get why they can't just vote on a leader instead of passing it on to family. That hardly ever ends well."

"We get to have a vote here, though," I say. "When we turn 18, anyways. Maybe you should run for council."

"Oh I will. Someday. You really think I'd have a chance?"

"From what I've seen," I say, "you'd be perfect for the job."

We share a secret grin. It makes me wonder if we're trying to communicate something… else. He's a great friend; the thing is, I might be developing an attraction to him. _Might _be.

Andrew continues our talk, saving me from any embarrassment; "So now it's _my_ turn to ask _you_: What made you transfer here from Dauntless? Did you hate it there? I heard their initiation process is really tough."

"No," I reply. I should've known someone would bring this up at some point. I just wish it wasn't so soon. Nonetheless, the Candor part of me is clamoring to tell Andrew the truth. I've learned to trust him over the past month, and he looks handsome with his hair growing out…

_Leave out that part,_ I tell myself.

"Something strange happened during my aptitude test," I admit, my eyes flitting to the ground.

"Okay."

"Don't freak out, but- the results said that I didn't fit into Abnegation. Or Dauntless. Or any of the other factions. I'm Divergent."

"Oh," he says in a surprised tone. "I guess I didn't think that was possible."

_It's more than possible, _I want to say; Technically, we're _all_ Divergent. Nobody is entirely Dauntless, for example. I still shudder at the memory of being in my fear landscape. But the people who created this faction-torn Chicago didn't want to acknowledge the concept of free thought. Which makes me a potentially "dangerous" person. Please. They have more reason to be afraid of my dad. He runs the knife shop in Dauntless, so you can bet he knows how to throw them, accurately and fast. So do I (okay, so maybe they _should_ be afraid of me).

"I had to pick a faction where I wouldn't be under fire," is what I tell Andrew.

"And Dauntless wouldn't have allowed it?"

"_None_ of the factions allow it," I argue. "This is just the best faction for keeping it under wraps. Well- I take that back- I could've chosen Amity, but from what I'd heard, they never get involved with anything. Amity's all about treating people equally, and so are we. The difference is, Abnegation actually teaches us how to make actions speak louder than words."

"You put a lot of thought into that, didn't you?" he asks, genuine interest in every line of his face. I wish I could memorize it. I love how much he cares about everyone. How a boy like him ever began in Erudite, I'll never know.

"Same as you," I reply, "and everybody else who transferred."

Just then, a bell rings. Our signal to get back to work.

"You're the only person my age who knows about my test results," I say as we stand up. "Please don't say anything."

He leans in and whispers in my ear: "Don't worry. I won't."

I can't stop myself from shivering.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm back working in the kitchen today. The cool thing about Abnegation is, even for a Dauntless-born, it never gets boring. Alternating jobs every month means that I get to dabble in many careers. Which is good. I get to see what things I'm best at doing, and improve my weaker skills. Since we're allowed to sign up for the same duties as our friends, Andrew is also here.

Another day is winding down. After feeding so many people today, I'm overwhelmed with exhaustion. Not that it bothers me much. I really enjoy cooking. Call me a typical woman, but this could be what I was born to do.

I'm still cleaning my work station as everyone else is filing out. Andrew stands behind them. _What's he waiting for? _I wonder. Then a possibility strikes me in the gut: He could be waiting for _me._ To tell me something very important…

_Oh no. _

_Not here._

_Not now._

I pretend that he's invisible as I hang up my apron and make to walk out of the kitchen. Then I hear his voice say, "Wait a minute, Natalie."

His fingers brush my arm, and suddenly, I'm frozen in place. We've never touched before, but I didn't expect him to affect me in this way. He just sent a jolt of electricity through my veins without realizing it. I wouldn't be surprised if I were to combust at any second. I hope he can't see how much I want him to kiss me. Even the slightest public display of affection, if caught, would cause the culprit to be thrown out of Abnegation, with the factionless.

_Ugh._

Moments like this make me wish I were back in Dauntless.

Somehow, I find the voice to ask, "What is it, Andrew?"

"It seems kind of obvious, doesn't it?" He strokes the back of his hand on my cheek, and I've officially melted into the ground. "I don't see you as just a friend anymore. I don't think you see me as just a friend, either."

"I-I-Uh…"

Andrew gets closer, and closer. Too close. I can't let this go on. My head swerves away before we get a chance to kiss.

"Andrew," I say in a soft tone. "Don't."

He steps back, scratching his head. "Oh. Did I misread you?"

"No," I admit.

Our eyes lock as we both realize that a giant bridge has been burned. There's no way to undo it. No way to deny this connection we've had since the beginning.

"Then what's wrong?" he asks.

"Somebody could hear us or see us! This place is the opposite of soundproof."

"I never would've picked you for a coward," Andrew says. "I mean, you spent the first sixteen years of your life in a faction that prizes fearlessness-"

"-and now I'm not," I interject, "so I have to abide by Abnegation rules. You know we're not allowed to date. We're supposed to put relationships out of our minds until we take the marriage test." I'm relieved when I remember that I still have two years before I become eighteen, old enough to take the test.

Andrew waves his hand. "That doesn't mean everyone obeys. Rules, rules, rules. Ever wonder what it would feel like if you abandoned them for a split second?"

"You shouldn't have transferred here if you hate them so much," I say.

"Fair enough," he replies, lowering his tone. "I just don't see the harm in one kiss."

"If we kiss," I whisper, "it will be in complete privacy. When we're absolutely sure that nobody's around."

"_If? _So I have to stick to _your _terms?"

"You do if you really are in love with me."

He clutches his chest, like he's been shot through the heart. "Ouch. You see that? I'm so in love with you, it hurts."

"Poor baby," I say, shaking my head.

"All joking aside, mark my words, Natalie Renee Shaw: _when _we kiss, it's going to be in some public place, and you won't know when I might do it."

"Good luck with that, Andrew Jonathan Prior," I tease.

"You could be waiting a while…"

I roll my eyes. "I'll try to be strong."

A month goes by. We've been acting more friendly around each other, but neither of us has brought up the instance when we almost kissed. He doesn't know that I think about it every day. Maybe that's the point of his silence.

Darn it.

He's signed us up to work in the Abnegation greenhouse this month. Like I didn't see that coming- although, to Andrew's credit, there aren't many people working in here. Only eight other people besides Andrew and me.

That boy is smart.

I'm almost done watering plants when our group breaks for lunch.

"You guys go eat," Andrew says to the others. "We'll be out in a minute."

Butterflies are swimming in my stomach, blinding me to my surroundings. Some seconds fly by before I notice that he's holding my hand. I give him my other hand, and we begin spinning through the aisles. I'm giggling with ecstasy. Never have I felt so alive. There's just one problem: Dancing is all but legal in Abnegation.

"We should get out of here," I say, "before-"

I can't finish my sentence, because his lips are on mine. He buries his hands in my hair. I don't have the strength to stop the kiss.

Yup, I'm in trouble.

When he breaks it off, he says, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Shut up," I say. But in spite of my words, I kiss him back.


	4. Chapter 4

How quickly two years pass. Andrew and I have been seeing each other secretly, in very clever ways. We try to meet alone about once a week. Some people might call them dates. If they consider being locked in a closet as romantic. That's where we are at the moment. Of course, the closet has some advantages… No, we haven't gone _that _far yet.

Andrew's sitting on a chair, while I sit on his lap, trying to catch my breath after one of our-um- heated discussions.

"We must be crazy," I say with a giggle.

"Certifiably crazy," he teases. "But somehow it's worked, all this time. And I thought you should know: My mother's been encouraging me to take the marriage test soon."

"Mine too," I say.

"I can't think of anything better than marrying you."

I squeeze his hand. "You know I'd love to, but it's not up to us."

"So?" he asks. "I had tons of tech training when I was in Erudite. I can manipulate the computer to put us together."

"What if you get caught?"

"If I get caught," he reasons, "it'll be on _my_ head, not yours."

He's got a point. "You really think we can make it happen," I say. The more I think about it, the more assured I feel. "I trust you."

"Now that we know exactly where we're headed, I wanna do this right." He releases his hold of me to stand up, and I join him.

I raise a curious eyebrow. "Like, 'go-down-on-one-knee' right?"

"Aw, man! You just spoiled the surprise."

"Not much of a surprise, genius," I reply. "Everybody does it."

"When did my girlfriend get to be so snarky?"

"I was born this way, babe."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," he says, beaming. It reminds me of the very first time I saw him. He plops onto one knee. "Natalie, will you marry me?"

I fretted over what faction to transfer to, and I worry all the time that my Divergence will be found out. But when it comes to him, I have no doubts.

"Yes" is my confident answer.

The following week, I endure another syringe for the purpose of performing my marriage test. It's very similar to the faction aptitude test: I'm put through various scenarios and I must react the way I see fit. My future husband will be the one who reacts almost identically to me. If we think alike, the Abnegation rules say, then, we must be a good pair. That's how it's supposed to work, anyways.

They don't know that love can always have other ideas.

Afterwards, I'm told to wait outside the testing room. My nerves have never been this catastrophic. What if…?

_No_. I can't think on it. I start pacing and pacing around to ease my mind a little. Then Selena appears with an envelope in her hand.

"Hi, Natalie," she says. "I thought I'd give the results to you personally. I'm sure your parents will be proud when they see it as well. Congratulations!"

"Thank you."

I'm so anxious. I have to run to my room before I read this, just in case my match isn't who I expect it to be. I want to marry Andrew and nobody else. My hands shake as I open it, but I quickly see that I shouldn't have worried. On the card, I see the face, eyes, and lips that I know well. Next to his picture, it says:

Congratulations,

NATALIE SHAW!

You have been matched with:

ANDREW PRIOR

_Wow,_ I think. _I'm engaged. _At this moment, I don't care if we were matched correctly or if he cheated the computers.

I might have to reward him.

An hour later, as night falls, I trudge through the snow to get to his apartment building, bundled up in my grey trench coat. If anyone stops me, I can just show them my marriage test results. It's not against the rules to go visit your new fiancé.

I knock on Andrew's door. When he lets me inside, I kick off my boots and unbutton my coat. Underneath, I'm only wearing a simple nightgown.

Andrew stares at me with those incredibly intense eyes, and I'm way beyond the point of thinking clearly. He happens to be shirtless.

Everything's about to change. We both know it.

"Come here."

That's all he needs to say. We become attached at the mouth as I come onto him, wrapping my legs around his waist. He carries me over to the bed. I undo his pants at the first opportunity, while he glides my nightgown up, above my head. We sink into the mattress, his hands roaming wherever they please, and I forget about everything except the warmth of his body.

For tonight, we're both Dauntless.


	5. Chapter 5

"Everybody give a round of applause for Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Prior!"

Andrew and I stroll down the aisle with big smiles, greeting the audience politely. We don't hold hands. We've signed a paper, and that's all there is to Abnegation weddings. Short and sweet. Our families are granted permission to throw a party, provided it's done at my former faction. Practically all of Dauntless turns out to meet the Erudite boy I married.

Things go fantastically for the first week or so. Until one day, when Selena calls us into her office.

"You don't think she found out?" I ask Andrew on our walk to headquarters.

He shakes his head. "There's no way." But he doesn't seem so certain once we're in Selena's presence.

She shuts the door and takes a seat at her desk, while we sit in chairs across from her.

"We discovered evidence that your marriage tests were tampered with," she says. "Care to explain?"

Silence fills the office. I refuse to tattle on my husband (Wouldn't _that _be a great start to a marriage?). So I continue saying nothing.

Andrew sighs loudly. He looks Selena dead in the eye and says, "It was me."

"Thank you for your honesty," she replies. "However, we don't tolerate deception, in any shape or form. You were meant to accept your results, even if they didn't please you. This marriage must be annulled."

"No!" Andrew and I shout in unison.

"I'm pregnant," I blurt out. "You can't separate us when we're about to start a family."

Selena's eyebrows raise. "Oh."

Andrew's equally shocked. This isn't how I wanted him to find out, but circumstances got in the way. He'll have tons of questions for me later. None too happy, I bet.

"So, Natalie," Selena asks, "I'm to believe that you took a pregnancy test?"

I nod.

"Well… you're right. I can't annul your marriage now. Your child needs both of you. But Andrew, promise me you will not stoop so low again."

"You have my word," he replies.

The second we're alone again, he asks me, "Why did you lie?"

"I wasn't lying."

"Do you mean-"

"Yeah," I confirm. "We'll be parents in nine months."

Andrew takes a deep breath to process my news. Then he embraces me gently. "I can't believe it happened so soon, but if anybody deserves to become a mother, it's you. Boy or girl, this is… incredible."

"I love you, Mr. Prior," I tell him.

"And I love you, _Mrs. _Prior." He kisses the top of my head. "Looks like we're off to a good start."

Throughout the whole pregnancy, the sickness, the crabby moods, I have to remind myself of this. We really _are_ off to a good start. My nineteenth birthday passes, and my belly grows. By the sixth month, I'm required to be on bed rest. Now I feel completely useless, while Andrew has to do all the housework.

"Why can't I help?" I argue after a late summer dinner.

Andrew, who's washing dishes, says, "You don't want to put any strain on the baby."

"I know, but… I'm so bored. Bed-rest makes me restless. All I do is stay here, silent, until you come home every day."

"I'm It'll be over before you know it, Natalie."

I make a trip to the bathroom, and instead of returning to the couch I've been lying on, I stroll beside Andrew, reaching for one of his dirty plates.

"Nope," he says. "Not gonna happen."

"But-"

"Sit down, woman!"

What a bossy boy Andrew is. But I find myself laughing when I fall back on the couch.

"Think of it this way," he says: "I'm giving you a break before taking care of our child consumes every bit of your day."

"That's only because you'll be at work and won't be able to-Aaah!"

My stomach plummets abruptly, like a knot has been twisted inside me. That's when I realize: I might be going into labor. But I still have about two months before I'm supposed to give birth.

This can't be a good sign.

"Andrew!" I call, squinting from pain.

He comes running to me frantically, and I explain, through grunts, what I'm feeling.

"You're probably in labor." he says. "Take long, deep breaths."

"I _have_ been!" I argue.

"Less yelling and more heavy breathing!"

Then, suddenly, the pain stops, like a load's been hefted off of me. A baby-sized load…

Andrew looks up at me with dismay. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Tell me what I just felt," I demand. In my heart, I know the answer, but I can't bring myself to ask.

"The baby… didn't make it."

We keep it together as well as possible when the doctor comes to clean me up. But when she leaves, everything falls apart.

I begin collapsing to the floor. Andrew catches me before I can collapse, a limp ragdoll in his arms. I hold onto him with everything that's left in me. Strained sounds begin coming from him. He's sobbing.

While tears of my own flow, I rub his back, saying, "It's all right, Andrew. We can get through this. We will."

How I wish that I could be certain of it.


	6. Chapter 6

**-Six years later-**

"Caleb! Wait for mommy!"

But my son doesn't listen to me. One-year-olds tend to do that. He's run off to the bathroom- and he's probably making a mess. If that wasn't enough, Beatrice is now crying in her crib. She's only been home for a week or so. Andrew and I definitely didn't plan on having two kids within two years. Oh well. I fell in love with them immediately, like every mother does. My heart still hurts when I think of the baby I lost, but with Caleb, Beatrice, and Andrew, I don't have a reason to be depressed. I have a family of my own now.

Just as I wonder how I'm supposed to take care of both of them at the same time, Andrew walks in. He's done with work for the day.

"Thank goodness!" I exclaim. "Can you see what Caleb's doing in the bathroom?"

Andrew nods briskly, beginning to walk in the direction Caleb went.

Now for Beatrice. I lift her out of her crib, and she already starts to calm down. "Are you hungry?" I ask her. "I bet you are. Let's get you some food."

While I feed her, Andrew returns with Caleb. Caleb crawls to his toy box in a corner of the living room and busies himself with a numbers game.

"I might be thinking ahead too much," I say to Andrew, "but I just wonder; should I ever tell them about… you know…me being Divergent?"

He frowns. "Don't even go there, Natalie. Not until their Choosing Day, at least. They don't need to know. And hopefully, neither of them will have the same test results as you."

"Hopefully," I echo.

Fast forward to the Choosing Ceremony, sixteen years later, and my palms are sweaty as I watch Caleb and Beatrice line up with the other initiates.

It takes about an hour before they get to Caleb. Caleb slices his hand open, and I hold my breath. He passes the Abnegation bowl. Then he sprinkles his blood over the bowl that holds water.

Erudite.

"What the heck?" Andrew whispers in a wounded voice. I'm much calmer. In fact, I don't understand why he's pouting.

When it's Beatrice's turn, I'm trembling slightly. I thought Caleb might want to leave Abnegation, but I'm not sure about her. She drops her blood into the bowl of coals. Beatrice is now Dauntless.

"Isn't that ironic?" I mutter to Andrew. "They picked our old factions." A smile creeps onto my lips.

He shakes his head. "I can't believe they did that to us. Abandoned their parents like it was nothing."

"They didn't do it because they hate us and you know it," I argue. "And look who's talking! We did the _same exact thing_ to _our_ parents!"

But Andrew's still angry. It's a bad habit of his; not being able to let go of his anger.

"Do you remember Tobias Eaton?" I ask. "Marcus Eaton's son?"

"Of course I do," he scoffs. "Marcus and I go way back, to when we were toddlers. I went to his wedding, and I met Tobias when he was still too small to walk. It's only been two years since Tobias transferred."

"Well," I continue, "Tobias switched to Dauntless just like Beatrice. I think he'll look out for her. He was a sweet boy when he was still Abnegation."

"I know. It's just… hard."

"You think it's not hard on me?" I demand. "It's one of the most painful things I've ever done. We raised these kids, and now they're free to make their own choices. As for Caleb, he'll be making friends with the children of your old friends in Erudite. They'll recognize his name."

Andrew refuses to respond, and his silence scares me. He remains silent even as we go to sleep that night. But I know it's not me he's angry at. The next time my eyes open, I'm safely tucked in his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

"They were inconclusive," Beatrice told me when I asked her about her faction test results.

Ever since I found out, daily pangs of guilt remind me that I passed it on to her, like a disease. She'll never truly be safe.

And, so it turns out, neither am I or Andrew. We're out in the fields when the sound of marching feet gets our attention.

I turn to Andrew. "Do you think they're looking for someone?"

"No," he says, his tone more than a little uncertain. "They can't have found out about you."

"I'm not sure this has anything to do with me," I say. "Nobody else knows what I am, except for you and my mother."

The marching grows louder and louder, until we see a mass of people in black. The Dauntless. If that wasn't strange enough for them to be entering the Abnegation compound, they're all moving perfectly in tune with one another. Like robots. Then they break off into groups and head to different Abnegation buildings. They've all got rifles.

We're under attack.

"Andrew," I say calmly, "I'm getting the gun." I haven't used a gun in decades, but I've always had one stashed. Just in case.

He nods grimly. I run into our house for the gun and sprint back out, not even stopping to catch my breath.

"Are you going to shoot?" Andrew asks.

"Not if I can help it," I say. "Sure makes me feel better to have a gun, though."

I search for Beatrice among the Dauntless, but she isn't there. I get this bad feeling in my gut, the one mothers always have about their children. Something terrible is happening to Beatrice.

Andrew and I walk slowly through the crowd, hoping to avoid being caught. We've reached the gate when Marcus Eaton steps in front of us.

"Can't let you leave, Natalie," he says. "We want you here to help fend off these monsters."

"Please, Marcus," I say. "My daughter's life is in jeopardy."

"Yeah? So is everybody else's."

My face goes from panicked to furious. "Don't make me shoot you."

"You wouldn't dare," he says.

I point the gun at his leg. "Try me."

"It's against Abnegation rules-"

My gun goes off, and he falls onto the grass, wincing. I've shot him in his right ankle. It won't kill him, but he can't chase us now.

"Sorry, Marcus," I say. Then I sprint out of Abnegation, Andrew following close behind me. We don't stop until we're deep in the city. I'd forgotten how incredibly beautiful this place was. Even in chaos, the buildings still shine, still stand tall.

I lead Andrew to the side of a building, and my stomach kicks into fluttering nerves. I'm about to give him news that he won't take well. I don't want to do it. But it's necessary.

"We have to split up," I tell Andrew. "I'll go find Beatrice. She's probably being held inside the Dauntless headquarters. You… get somewhere safe. Don't tell me where you're going, okay?"

My husband's face is stricken with fear. "Natalie-"

"No time to talk," I say. I pull him against me for a kiss. I don't care how cold the wall is. This could be the last time I see him alive.

Memories come pouring into my brain: during initiation, when we first felt a spark of attraction; that first, forbidden kiss we shared; the night where we committed our bodies to each other; giving Caleb and Beatrice their names. I tended to put him aside after we had kids, and our marriage itself hasn't been an Amity picnic (Then again, _no_ marriage is perfect). The bad times don't matter now. All I need is this reminder that I love him dearly.

It seems like an eternity before we break apart.

"I love you," he manages to say.

"I love you too. Now go!"

Andrew runs toward wherever he thinks is considered safe, and I return to my old home. I wish it were under better circumstances.

I'm ready to show Beatrice my true colors. Even if it kills me.


End file.
